The Magic of the Pendragons Volume 3

Volume Three can safely be called the DVD on Classic Stage Magic vs. Illusions. We are introduced to The Linking Rings, Sands of Egypt (Sands of the Desert), The Kellar Rope Tie, Head Twister, The World's Greatest Feet of Magic, and of course an interview with Jonathan.

As usual, I will give my recommendation followed by a more thorough review. Volume Three is on stage magic, while the Pendragon's are remarkable at Grand Illusion, the Stage Magic I saw left something to be desired. I would recommend this DVD for specific purposes. If you want to learn Sands of the Desert, buy this immediately! Jonathan will fool you with it and it is a great method. If you aren't familiar with The Kellar Rope Tie, buy this DVD set. There is no doubt the material is commercial and works for real audiences, it is scripted and carefully choreographed.

Bottom line, while these might not be great effects for you there are lessons to be learned. Of the set, I would say this is certainly not my favorite DVD. If you do or plan to do paying shows, it would be in your best interest to see a few commercial stage pieces despite the fact that they might not be for you exactly. As for the close up trick... I'm sorry that was included.

Let's go in chronological order. The linking rings routine work for Jonathan. It's something he does often and enjoys. The best part to me was not the routine but the explanation. You would be hard pressed to be able to perform this routine as described and performed. Vernon's Symphony of the Rings would be a much better investment to learn a routine from, or the famous Jack Miller Routine. Whit Haydn's comedy ring routine would be another highly recommended source. If you are looking for how a routine like the linking rings can be choreographed to music then this will certainly be beneficial. The routine is very Jonathan Pendragon. As usual the explanation is thorough and Jonathan explains it very well. The scripting in the routine is well done too. The routine as a whole is a bit much for me. You'll have to see it for yourself. Not the best thing on the DVD, not the worst. There is no question that the safety aspects covered are great and Jonathan is full of stories. In the safety segment the height requirements and tips on how to throw and catch rings without killing yourself are all covered.

The second trick is the Sands of Egypt. This has got to be my favorite version of this trick to date. I am familiar with a variety of methods but this one in particular fooled me and appealed to me on a commercial level. Jonathan makes this an audience participation trick.... How you ask? A little girl comes on stage and pours the sands in her self! What a brilliant take on this trick! Each colour is poured in of course and as you all know Jonathan reaches in and pulls out each colour, dry. There area couple of changes from the usual routine. The blackening chemicals are added openly, and the water is not cleared up at the end. I find the clearing of the water at the end to be unnecessary. Similar logic to Vernon's Traveler's where 4 aces travel to 4 different pockets. There is no need to pull the last ace from an envelope in your inside pocket. That changes the effect. I think this same thinking can be applied here. There is no need to clear the water. The effect is removing dry sands, clearing up the water (which never truly clears up) is too much. Just my opinion mind you.

The explanation for this as I already mentioned is brilliant in method. Jonathan explains the trick very well. You can make the sand yourself but I would suggest a couple of google searches to find the sand you need. You DO NOT have to buy the expensive sand from magic shops. You can get similar types of sands from children's science stores. Jonathan also details the chemicals used to darken the water and how to clear it up again if you like. The explanation is very thorough and insightful, obviously the result of hundreds of shows. There is a lot to learn. Constructing the prop you need for this might be difficult to make at times. If you have purchased the DVD and want a bit of assistance please feel free to email me and I will let you know what to do. I would purchase this DVD for this trick alone, but that's because I will be adding it to my show.

Jonathan now performs the Kellar Rope Tie. There is a lot to learn from this piece. The audience member selection process, the careful words to ensure props spectators, etc. The fun they have on stage, the lines, etc. This is a great routine to learn from. Jonathan does forget their names but I'm not sure if that's on purpose, so it's covered well. The audience interaction is wonderful and the routine is good. Not what I'd expect from Jonathan, but certainly a well received trick. Real audience laughter, great moments, a good routine! Jonathan's routine is a prime example of how to make this routine play on a huge stage. If you are interested in doing this in a small setting, parlor perhaps, I highly recommend The Magic of Alan Wakeling and the Handcuff Escape. Otherwise this is a great trick for a large stage. I'd say it's a toss up between this and the Sands of Egypt for best trick on the DVD. Jonathan explains the trick well, but quite honestly there isn't too much too explain. You will learn more from the performance than from the explanation.

The Head Twister is on here, and I'm not quite sure why to be honest. It seems out of place compared to the other tricks presented. The explanation seems longer than you need. Jonathan truly explains how the effect plays in the stage show. It's a weak effect at best. A bit of apparent miscommunication leads into "Jonathan's head not being on straight" so they adjust him with the twister. It really looks like Jonathan just wanted this to be in there cause he likes the trick. The performance is accompanied by some useful advice but this was thrown in for the performers not the viewers.

The last thing on this DVD is quite frankly, terrible. Jonathan's seated performing a card trick. The greatest feet of magic is Jonathan catching a selected card in his toes. Why is this on here? His technique is sloppy, the trick is weak in his hands. That being said, it is an amusing trick to see live with magician friends. Johnny Benzais' book has a better method for obtaining the card as needed. The effect could be good just not in Jonathan's hands or feet for that matter.

While these DVDs have highs and lows the highs certainly outweigh the lows. Unfortunately the DVD ends on a low. The highs being the Sands of Egypt and Kellar Rope Tie. The lows being the Head Twister and Greatest Feet of Magic, The Linking Rings is the wild card. Might work for some, and not for others.

All in all, this DVD is good the to have if you plan on performing Sands of Egypt or Kellar Rope Tie. Certainly don't buy it for the other tricks. As always Jonathan's insight is interesting and the dialogue is entertaining to listen to. For 35 dollars, I'd suggest you pick it up, but not for the close up magic. Available here. From L and L Publishing.